Why three Moroccan regions still capture most of the 2026 investment

Morocco’s new 2026 Finance Bill shows that more than half of the country’s public spending on investment is set to flow into just three regions: Casablanca-Settat, Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, and Marrakech-Safi.

Together, these three economic poles will absorb about 60.4 percent of total investment by state-owned and public institutions. 

• Casablanca-Settat is projected to receive the largest single share, commanding 31.2% of all EPE investment, solidifying its role as the undisputed economic epicenter.
• The Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region and the Marrakech-Safi region are tied for the next largest allocation, with each projected to secure 14.6% of the total investment. 

Here’s what drives that concentration.

The project pipeline and the weight of readiness

Most 2026 allocations continue projects already under construction. Water projects, hospitals, and highway links launched up to 2024 and which still require major financing, with the majority located in the same metropolitan corridors.

The Finance Ministry’s note lists examples: the new Ibn Sina University Hospital Center in Rabat (7.45 billion dirhams), the Casablanca water-supply reinforcement (1.17 billion), and the regional development program for Marrakech-Safi (3 billion), with the 2026 budget advancing those files.

Public-enterprise funding follows regions with completed studies, acquired land, and functioning procurement systems. Casablanca, Rabat, and Marrakech have the institutions, contractors, and engineering capacity to absorb large budgets quickly.

 Where the economy, people, and infrastructure already converge

The same three regions host the country’s economic core. Casablanca-Settat anchors finance and manufacturing; Rabat-Salé-Kénitra concentrates on administration, and Marrakech-Safi is a tourism hub . 

Population density amplifies the logic, with these regions being home to a substantial share of the country’s population and economic activity, where pressure on services is highest. New hospital complexes, water-transfer systems, and transport projects follow that demographic curve. 

Infrastructure maturity also attracts new investment, with export-oriented industries and logistics rely on ports, industrial zones, and airports concentrated in these same hubs. 

Timelines, national events, and sectoral priorities

Morocco’s near-term calendar reinforces this geography, as stadiums, highways, and hospitality projects tied to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup are sited in Casablanca, Rabat, and Marrakech to meet construction deadlines.

Strategic sectors push in the same direction. The 2026 Finance Bill emphasizes automotive, aeronautics, logistics, and tourism all dependent on established metropolitan networks. 

Water and climate investments follow similar criteria,where desalination plants and new dams are prioritized where stress and consumption are highest, especially along the north-west axis.

What about the rest of the country?

In contrast to the dominant trio, several regions are struggle to investment, a fact the budget data makes clear. Their minimal allocations underscore the challenge in achieving equitable spatial integration:

• The Souss-Massa region is projected to receive only 3.8% of the EPE investment.
• Guelmim-Oued Noun is allocated a mere 1.1%.
• The Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab region receives the lowest share, at just 0.6% of the total planned EPE investments.

Hallmark projects by region

The detailed investment memorandum accompanying the bill provides a glimpse into the major specific projects that define the flow of capital in the coming period (2026 and beyond), often focused on water security and social services:

• Southern Provinces: Investments here are concentrated in large, structural projects:

• Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab: The construction of the massive Dakhla Atlantic Port is prioritized at MAD 13,614.4 million.

• Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra: Capital is directed toward the Phosboucraa complex for fertilizer production (MAD 10,246 million) and the construction of the Laâyoune University Hospital Center (MAD 2,360 million).
• Guelmim-Oued Noun: Focus is on the Guelmim University Hospital Center (MAD 2,000 million) and a Regional Road Development Program (MAD 2,270 million).
• North and East Regions: Infrastructure and connectivity are key priorities:

• Oriental: Projects include the completion of the Nador West Med Port (MAD 11,590 million) and the construction of a railway link for the new port (MAD 3,100 million).
• Tangier-Tétouan-Al Hoceima: Water security is paramount, with the bill listing major dam projects, including the construction of the Dar Mimoun Dam (MAD 2,300 million).
• Central Interior Regions: Health and water infrastructure dominate:

• Béni Mellal-Khénifra: Investments target health and water, notably the construction of the Beni Mellal University Hospital Center (MAD 2,400 million) and the Taghzirt Dam (MAD 1,517 million).
• Drâa-Tafilalet: Focus remains on water and agriculture, with dam construction (e.g., Agdez Dam at MAD 841.10 million) and the construction of the Errachidia University Hospital Center (MAD 2,400 million).